An Olympic Spirit in Construction

The 2018 Winter Olympics held in PyeongChang, South Korea consists of 92 participating nations, 2,920 athletes, and 102 sporting events. Being in construction, my first interest was the amount of money spent constructing the venues to host this world event. It was no surprise to learn that the $13 billion spent was double the original budget. How this happens in a sophisticated construction industry is a topic on its own and one for another time. I want to focus on the spirit and purpose of the Olympics and some parallels in the construction industry.

The Human Element

Anciently and in our time, the Olympics are a time where trained athletes compete in a variety of sports. The Olympics are an international proving ground for athletes who are always striving to be better. They spend countless hours training to improve personal bests, set new world records, and ultimately see how they stack up to the world’s elite. Only the Olympics through the sheer number of countries and athletes can achieve such results.

At Bonneville Builders, we do not have any Olympic Athletes, but our employees are always striving to be a little bit better. After each project, we complete a “Lessons Learned” allowing us to get better and improve on every new project. Also, we are always looking for new technology, processes, and procedures to continue to develop our Bonneville team.

The Flame

Who isn’t mesmerized by the flickering flames of fire. Most people love to feel fire’s warmth, to test its limits, and to watch the way it consumes fuel. The Olympic flame goes beyond our natural senses and symbolizes the beginning and the end of this world event. The flame starts in Athens, months before the games, and lasts until it is extinguished in the closing ceremonies. It represents the positive values and the unconquerable will of the Olympic athletes as they compete for their respective countries. It is also a link between the Ancient and Modern Games and underlines the profound connection between these two events.

Like the Olympic flame, our projects start months in advance with project budgeting, feasibility studies and a thorough “Project Management Plan”. The spirit of our work always begins with the end in mind.

The Rings

The colors of the rings together with the white of the background, are the colors of every competing nation’s flag. The interlocking rings, symbolize unity, equality and continuity among all nations and athletes competing in this international event.

The Olympic flag, accepted by all nations, represents a platform where they can deepen their relations with others and demonstrate the power of sport to bring people together. In this way, the Olympic flag represents an international event and plays an important part to promote friendship, peace and solidarity throughout the sporting world.

There is a lot of work that goes into a project and like the interlocking rings of the Olympic symbol, it takes all parties (owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, and subcontractors) working together to pull off a successful project. Projects can serve as a platform for all parties to work together with a common goal and purpose to achieve remarkable results.

What Can We Learn?

Like the Olympics, construction provides an opportunity to unite people, ideas and resources to achieve higher standards and optimal results. None of this is possible without individuals with a commitment to their team, sport/project, and country/company they represent. They embody determination, countless hours of hard work, and sacrifice.

Bonneville Builders’ is grateful for those who represent our country in the 2018 Winter Olympics as well as our partners, friends and employees who work with Bonneville Builders.